Why

by Michael Edward

I am a storyteller who just finished a six part epic story that I have been working on for more than half my life. It has affected my family and friends in ways that I am sometimes embarrassed by. It has affected my health mentally and physically, so when I wrote “THE END” it was a feeling that one rarely experiences. Like the birth of your children or the first time you meet the love of your life. It was an experience, an accomplishment. I pushed my chair back and stared at the computer. For a reason I still cannot explain I pulled up to my desk and grabbed my keyboard. I blacked out and twenty-three hours later this is what I had written.

133 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 28, 2012

About the author

I am Michael Edward, a husband, a father of six, a friend, and a self-proclaimed storyteller. I say storyteller because to use the word writer would be a misrepresentation, it might imply that I can write. I have always felt that my imagination was my strength and I always see everything as a movie. A lot of times when I write, its like I am sitting in a movie theater watching it on screen and I just write down what I see with the words that I know.

I love to write screenplays and that bleeds into my writing style. Also, I have epilepsy, and my seizures have increased, so if they bleed into the writing I apologize. I just want to tell entertaining stories that give people a chance to escape reality for a bit. I mean no disrespect to writers.

Reviews

[Rachel So · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing. beautifully written. everything about it is just so raw. One of the best books I've read so far. It defies the typical storybooks you read with its plotline. Not the typical cliche. A perfect example of a book that you shouldn't judge by its cover. I laughed. I cried. I felt. While reading this book, I felt like the author was there the entire time talking to me, and it was not boring at all. Not even a second. It's like I'm a kid begging for more stories. Read this book in like one sitting. could not put it down at all. that's how much I was into this book. I really love this book and I highly recommend it. Pick it up if you want a breather. I hope there's part 2!

[Eric Townsend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why (A Storyteller's Diary) is yet another story that I thought I was mentally prepared for going in, but was absolutely blindsided by. Though the summary does mention that this story was written during a blacked-out period for author Michael Edward, I didn't realize how disjointed, yet enthralling that would make the story be.

This book is the diary, at least a 23-hour version of one, of a person with a serious case of epilepsy. This results in the narration being filled with moments of trouble focusing, jumps back and forth in time, and periods that are completely lost to Edward's conscious self. His mind simply couldn't hold it all together, and that is made painfully obvious from the beginning.

However, while some of the jumps are nearly headache inducing, and the sentences aren't always coherent, the overall story is intriguing and even captivating at times. There is serious trauma in Why, much caused by the author even if unintentionally so, and it alters his entire life trajectory. Random chance proves to direct Edward's life just as much as his conscious actions, resulting in who he would marry, various things about his children, and certainly everything to do with his professional life. It's a fascinating tale in that regard, and a very honest and transparent look at how little control any of us have in the grand scheme of things, no matter what our intentions are.

Edward would tell you that he is a story teller, not a writer, but I fundamentally disagree with that. Is the grammar perfect? Of course not, especially since we are told this was barely edited in order to keep it as genuine and authentic as possible. However, where the author might see technical flaws, I view the piece as stylistically unique. Where others might see broken trains of thought and repetitive dialogue, I found recognizable mental demons and triumphant battles of will, ones that caused consistent lapses in judgement and the mental capacity to do anything but yell.

While I can't identify with Edward's blackouts, I can understand dealing with mental issues, and the constant conversation going on in one's head leading to mistakes and successes, though often in unequal measure. Edward has been honest about how his issues have impacted his life, just as I have been transparent about my attempted suicide one year ago. However, where I have yet to find the words for my story, a 23-hour blackout was what Michael Edward needed to unleash his own. I thank him for that, as it truly is inspiring, even though I'd rather work on mine consciously if at all possible.

The struggle to write a story that consumes oneself, that affects those around the author, and the incredible strength it takes to finish a task that most would deem impossible. That is the tale of Why. Reading this piece might not be the smoothest ride you'll go on, but I highly recommend you take it anyway. Maybe a bump or two along the way will jostle your creative spark and allow you to unleash a work of your own.